Seagoville Man who Possessed Firearm while Consuming Hallucinogenic Mushrooms Sent to Federal Prison (DOJ)

A man who shot his roommate while under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms has been sent to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.

Russell Alan Ragsdale, 25, has been in federal custody since his arrest on November 22, 2024. On April 29, 2025, Ragsdale pled guilty to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. On July 17, 2025, Senior United States District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn sentenced Ragsdale to 66 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Ragsdale was arrested on Feb. 3, 2022, in Seagoville for the felony murder of his roommate. At the time, Ragsdale told Seagoville law enforcement that his roommate attacked him, and he claimed he "shot him many times" in self-defense. Officers recovered three firearms, including a 10mm Glock and an AR-15 rifle, and almost two grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms from the residence. An analysis of Mr. Ragsdale's phone showed a history of drug use dating back to November 2021, as well as evidence of purchasing and using hallucinogenic mushrooms on Feb. 2, 2022. As part of his guilty plea, Ragsdale admitted that he was legally intoxicated from consuming hallucinogenic mushrooms when he possessed the 10mm Glock.

During sentencing, Judge Lynn found that the defendant did not present sufficient evidence to support his self-defense claim. The Court also noted that the unfortunate death of the victim was the defendant's own making. Ragsdale remains in custody pending transfer to the Bureau of Prisons to serve his sentence.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives' Dallas Field Division, the Seagoville Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, which participated in the murder investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jongwoo Chung prosecuted the case.